National Republican., 1887-11-15
Universal Language Needed.

EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,: The
article in yesterdays REPUBLICAN concern
ing the new universal Language suggests
the presentation OF some additional facts,
which, as the subject is now attracting
very general attention, may be interesting
to your readers.
The need of universal language has been
felt ever since the time OF Babel, and many
attempts have been made to solve the
difficult problem, but, until now, all with
out success. In Volapuk, however, we
have a system so simple in construction
that It's principles have merely to be stated
to be at once understood. BY the student
conversant with English (or any other
grammar, yolapuk can be acquired IN a
months time, little more being necessary
than to study the vocabulary.
Nolapuk has already over 200, 900 ad-
herents throughout the world Eleven
periodicals are published In the language,
and seventy.flve or more societies advocate
1t. The movement In favor of its adoption
as means Of international communication
obtained Its first impulse In this country
through an article by Richmond Walker In
the June number Of the american Maga-
zinc. Owing to the fact that up to the
| present time all the students Of Volapuk
have been compelled to acquire 1t through
the medium OF other languages, but little
| progress has been made among English
| speaking people. There are, however, In
| the United States four societies for its
| propagation, and a technical business paper
| Of New York has started Volapuk de-
partment, showing that business men are
| beginning to appreciate the benefits to be
derived from It's use commercially. A full
and comprehensive grammar OF the system,
from which knowledge Of Volapuk can be
| very readily gained, will be issued In q
few days by a gentleman in New York.
@yolapuk is eclectic In character to the
extent OF adopting the best OF other Ian
| guages, but 1t has many features entirely
its own. English is largely drawn upon in
all its rules are invariable. The articles are
discarded, being found to be unnecessary.
| The root words are nearly all nominatives.
| From these the adjectives are formed, and
from the adjectives the adverbs. The
verbs are also formed from the nouns, the
addition of the personal pronouns indicat-
| ing the persons. The declensions, of the
nouns and pronouns are managed by the
ADDITION to the D0minative case Of the
yowels u, Q, and for the genitive, dative
and accusative. The cOnjugations are made
by the prehXing of the vowels In regular
order, the passive voice being indicated by
the additional pre1xing Of the letter p, and
so on throughout the language everything
is simple and effective.
The wonderful simplicity OF the princi
piles governing the construction of the Ian
guagG, and the very manifest advantage:
to be derived from it's use, not only by bust
neEs men In commercial transactions with
countries using languages other than Eng
llsh, but scientists, travellers, diplomats
&C., must soon bring about its genera
adoption. 1t ls tue hope OF the Volapukist:
that II will be learned by every educated
person next after his mother tongue.
i shall be glad to give more precise In
formation TO Interested persons.
W. j. HUGHEs, Volapullst.
NpVRkIpPR 10 1897